General Manager Mickey Loomis admitted the New Orleans Saints are "a bit behind" their normal schedule when it comes to free agency and the draft.

Ted Jackson/The Times-PicayuneNew Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis will be hoping to make the team even better in the offseason."But it's a good reason to be behind," Loomis said of the franchise's first Super Bowl championship and the ensuing celebration that swept the Crescent City. "And I think we're capable of catching up."

The 2010 season is kicking things up a notch this week, with the NFL scouting combine beginning Wednesday in Indianapolis and the deadline for designating franchise and transition players looming Thursday.

The deadline for submitting qualifying offers to restricted free agents is March 4, and the free-agent signing period will begin March 5.

The first decision New Orleans must make is whether to place the franchise tag on Darren Sharper, an All-Pro safety in 2009 who led the team with nine interceptions and three touchdown returns.

A league source indicated Monday the Saints are not going to use the tag on Sharper, but Loomis has given no indication what his intentions are.

The Saints would have to offer Sharper, 34, a one-year deal worth $6.455 million to lock him up. Or they could decide to skip the franchise tag and negotiate a new deal with the unrestricted free agent, or let him leave for another team.

Sharper said last week he wants to come back to the Saints, but he would prefer to reach a long-term agreement.

New Orleans most likely wants to keep Sharper, as well, but the Saints might decide they can bring him back at a more palatable price tag. Although Sharper was outstanding in 2009, he still might not fetch a super-sized deal on the open market. Last year, he had to settle for a one-year, $1.7 million deal with New Orleans because of concerns that he was declining.

The rules of free agency will change dramatically throughout the NFL in this, the final year of the collective bargaining agreement between the owners and players. Most notably, there will be no salary cap, and several players who were scheduled to become unrestricted free agents now will remain restricted free agents.

The Saints will be especially affected by the rules changes. The final four playoff teams are not allowed to sign any unrestricted free agents unless they lose one first, and they can only sign a new player at a similar salary level.

"We're severely limited in free agency, so the fact that we're behind a little bit isn't as tough on us," Loomis said, putting a positive spin on New Orleans' restrictions.

Because of those restrictions, the Saints likely will place even more of an emphasis on retaining their own players this year. And that should be manageable, considering they have only two starters scheduled to become unrestricted free agents (Sharper and linebacker Scott Fujita).

But Loomis said New Orleans won't alter its normal approach or be more likely to spend money more freely this offseason because of a Super Bowl victory.

"We need to have a critical eye when we evaluate and not be blinded by the euphoria that goes along with winning a championship," Loomis said. "I think one thing we have to be careful about is when you have a successful season, sometimes you don't use a critical eye. You still have to be honest with yourself. You have to stay true to your philosophies and pay attention and be self-critical. We need to do that and pay attention to weaknesses we have and holes we have on our team."

Loomis said the Saints won't necessarily impose a strict salary cap on themselves, as some other teams have suggested they plan to do. But he said, "We're going to pay attention to salary structure just like we always have."

Restricted free agents used to be players with three years of service time, but now that group includes players with four and five years of service time, as well. That's good news for teams, but bad news for players like Brown, Evans and Harper, who were originally scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.

With restricted free agents, as long as the Saints make a one-year qualifying offer at a certain price level, they have the right to match any offer the player signs with another team. Or, if the Saints decide not to match the offer, they could receive one or more draft picks from the new team.

The amount of that qualifying offer varies, based on the player's years of service and the level of draft-pick compensation. It ranges from $1.101 million (right of first refusal and original-draft round compensation for fourth-year players) to $3.268 million (right of first refusal, plus first- and third-round compensation for sixth-year players), or 110 percent of the player's 2009 salary.

That 110 percent rule would come into play with Brown, whose salary was $3.29 million last year. So the Saints' offer would have to be at least $3.619 million this year, no matter what draft-pick compensation they designate.

The 110 percent rule could also come into play with Evans ($2.792 million salary last year), receiver Lance Moore ($1.545 million) and offensive tackle Zach Strief ($1.545 million).

It's possible New Orleans might actually seek trades for some of its restricted free agents, especially at offensive tackle, where it has three experienced players in Brown, Bushrod and Strief.